


journey to acquiescence

by thunderylee



Category: NewS (Band)
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M, Romance, member love, side tegomasu & ryopi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-06
Updated: 2008-02-06
Packaged: 2019-02-05 17:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12799275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderylee/pseuds/thunderylee
Summary: Shige’s tired of going to Hawaii.





	journey to acquiescence

**Author's Note:**

> reposted from agck.

Shige eyes his surroundings dryly. “Oh, look, it’s Hawaii. _Again_.”

“ _Shige_ ,” Tegoshi chides, looping his arms around Ryo’s neck as he’s carried piggy-back out of the airport. “Don’t be such a downer. We are on vacation!”

“Yeah,” agrees Ryo, who appears to have no problem lugging around someone who’s bigger than him. “I’m the pessimist of the group, not you.”

“Can’t we go somewhere different for once?” Shige whines, pausing to sort out his burdens and briefly wondering how he ended up carrying all three of their suitcases. “We come here like five times a year. Who can get excited about somewhere we’ve been so many times?”

“HAWAII!” a shrill voice screams from behind them, and a blur that looks suspiciously like Koyama flies past the trio and spins around in the sunlight.

“He doesn’t count,” Shige says before Ryo or Tegoshi can point out the obvious. “He gets excited when the wind blows.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Tegoshi mutters, then cracks up into Ryo’s hair.

“Ha-ha,” Shige retorts, but he can feel himself blushing at the innuendo. “At any rate, we’re not here for vacation. We’re here for another photoshoot where they’re going to make us swim in the ocean in the middle of winter and roll around in the sand, probably with _each other_.”

Ryo scoffs. “You wouldn’t last a _day_ in Kanjani8.”

“Will you bury me in the sand, Ryo-tan?” Tegoshi inquires, hugging Ryo’s neck as he ducks his head to get on the shuttle bus.

“Of course,” Ryo replies, gently depositing Tegoshi in one of the seats before scooting in next to him.

The shuttle’s kind of crowded and Massu is nowhere to be seen. Shige is worried for a second, until Koyama almost sits on him to make room for a nice native obaachan and pets Shige’s head in what he probably thinks is a comforting manner. “Leader is missing too,” Koyama says happily. “If Massu is with Leader, then it will be okay. They can just take the next shuttle or something.”

“There they are!” Tegoshi cries, flattening himself against the window like he’s one of those Garfields with the suction cups. “Driver, please stop!”

Shige makes the mistake of following Tegoshi’s gaze and almost laughs when he sees Yamapi dragging Massu towards the shuttle while Massu is quickly trying to finish whatever American delicacy he bought inside the airport.

The driver doesn’t appear to hear Tegoshi, or more likely doesn’t understand Japanese, and Shige sighs as he tries to stand up with Koyama halfway on his lap and says clearly in English, “Please wait a second, sir. The rest of our group is coming.”

“Shige is so smart,” Tegoshi says dotingly, sitting backwards in his seat to grin at Shige.

There seems to be a scuffle at the front, and Shige almost sighs again when he sees the driver trying to tell Massu that he can’t bring food on the bus. Yamapi figures it out first and tries to get Massu to throw the rest away, but Massu just stands there with this look on his face like Yamapi suggested for him to off his mother. Shige is about to get out of his seat when Massu shoves the rest of the treat into his mouth and smiles with his cheeks puffed, which is apparently good enough for the driver and Yamapi quickly pushes Massu towards the back, giving everyone apologetic looks as the natives stare at him like they’ve never seen anything so beautiful.

Miraculously, they make it to the hotel without any further incident, unless Shige’s leg falling asleep from Koyama’s weight counts, and Shige isn’t surprised to see that it’s the same hotel they always stay at when they come to Hawaii.

“If Hawaii is so boring, then where do you want to go on vacation?” Koyama asks as they head to their room.

“Somewhere new and exciting,” Shige responds, thinking about it as he unlocks the door. “Like Greece. Or Venice. Or Vienna -”

“Okay,” says Koyama. “Let’s save our money and you and I will go wherever you want on our next time off.”

Shige starts to reply, but he’s just walked into the room and, upon seeing its furnishings, explodes into laughter so hard that he falls sideways against the wall.

“What’s so -” Koyama begins, trailing off as he enters behind Shige and lets his suitcase fall to the floor. “This isn’t funny.”

“Yes it is,” Shige gasps, struggling to breathe properly as the laughter continues to consume him. “It’s hilarious.”

“No,” says Koyama seriously, shaking his head and spinning on his heel. “I’m going down to the front desk and demanding -”

“In what language?” Shige asks, only a little condescendingly. “You know we’re on a budget, Kei. Complaining won’t make us look very good.”

Koyama heaves the sigh of a thousand men and reluctantly turns around, kicking the door closed and double-bolting it like very secret operations are about to commence. Shige decides not to point out that the others’ rooms are probably exactly the same as theirs, therefore it wouldn’t be as big of a secret as Koyama hopes.

“I guess I’ll just sleep on the floor.” Koyama tosses his bag in an arch across the room.

Shige laughs again, despite Koyama’s murderous looks. “Calm down,” he says rationally. “I’m telling you, we can share.”

“And I’m telling you we can’t,” Koyama says in a very no-nonsense tone. “I’ve slept in worse places, Shige. Don’t worry about me.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Shige says in the same tone. “It’s more than big enough for the two of us.”

“But Shige, I -”

“You act like I don’t read your nikki,” Shige cuts him off, standing with his arms folded as Koyama starts flailing his around. “I know what your issue is and I’m telling you, it’s okay.”

“But what if I -”

“If it happens,” Shige says slowly, clearly, “I won’t mind at all.”

Koyama kind of stares at him for a moment, then both of their attentions are called across the room as the phone rings.

“Shige?” Yamapi says in frantic voice. “Do either of you want to trade with me? There’s only one bed and Ryo-chan kicks in his sleep.”

“No!” Shige and Koyama exclaim in unison, both rushing to hang up the phone.

Koyama wrings his hands and looks everywhere but at Shige. “I guess it could be worse,” he finally says.

“Much worse,” Shige agrees, cringing at the thought of Koyama executing his ‘uncontrollable sleeping habit’ with Ryo, although he’s not quite sure why the thought bothers him so much.

~*~*~*~

“Great! Now dunk Kato-kun in the water!”

“I hate you so much,” Shige mutters to no one in particular as Ryo gleefully follows the photographer’s directions and pushes Shige down into the cold, cold water.

Meanwhile, Tegoshi’s head is the only thing sticking out of the sand and Yamapi’s on his knees in front of him, attempting to turn Tegoshi into some sort of elaborate sand castle while ocean water drips sexily from his hair.

“Is it me, or do these shoots keep getting more perverted?” Koyama whispers to Shige when they finally get a break, both shivering under their respective beach towels and trying not to laugh as Massu and Yamapi fling ice cream all over each other and try to look happy about it.

“I could slit all of your throats with my nipples right now,” Ryo announces, striding up to the pair and puffing his chest out so they could see for themselves. “I think I’ll start with this photographer.”

Koyama looks under his towel. “I could help you.”

“You know,” Yamapi says casually as he plops down in the sand, licking the ice cream off of his face. “This is all KAT-TUN’s fault. The sluttier they get, the more we have to try and up them.”

“I don’t know about that,” Ryo argues, squeezing the water out of his hair directly over Yamapi’s head. “You were being slutty long before Jin and Kame were even attractive. I think _you_ started the battle.”

“We slit Leader second,” Koyama decides, huddling closer to Shige for some type of body heat.

Yamapi gapes.

“That’s not very logical,” Shige points out. “If Yamashita-kun is the sluttiest of them all, we should definitely keep him alive or we’ll have to try twice as hard to be sluttier than KAT-TUN without him.”

Ryo and Koyama nod in understanding.

Yamapi frowns. “So mean.”

Massu chooses this second to walk up and, noticing the expression on Yamapi’s face, wrap his arms around his neck in a hug. “Don’t be sad, Yamashita-kun. It will be over soon and we can all go take hot showers and enjoy the rest of our vacation.”

“I claim the shower first!” Yamapi declares.

“I claim Massu and Tegoshi’s shower,” Ryo says evenly.

Massu looks confused. “Is that allowed?”

Ryo produces a key card for their room, stealthily swiped from Tegoshi’s bag.

Nodding, Massu looks at the sticky ice cream still clinging to his chest. “I guess I can wait.”

“Don’t be such a pushover, Masuda,” says Shige, reaching across Koyama to snatch the key card and toss it in Massu’s lap. “It’s your room.”

“Hey, Massu,” Yamapi says suddenly, his eyes lighting up. “Do you want to switch with me?”

“I do not kick in my sleep!” Ryo explodes. “I’m telling you, that was Tegoshi. Not me.”

“Tegoshi doesn’t kick in his sleep,” Massu says in bewilderment. “He just steals the covers.”

Four pairs of eyes blink at Massu, who stares at them each in turn as though he has no clue what they’re blinking about. Yamapi clears his throat and mumbles, “I guess you don’t want to switch then.”

“If Leader wants me to -”

“ _Masuda_ ,” Shige interrupts, widening his eyes in disbelief.

“Okay, okay,” Massu says, looking down in shame. “No, I don’t want to switch. I’m sorry.”

Yamapi sighs. “Maybe I will just stay out all night and sleep when Ryo-chan gets up.”

Ryo rolls his eyes. “I don’t kick in my sleep!”

“Yes, you do!”

“That wasn’t me!”

The argument is forcefully broken up as a shrill cry from across the beach makes all five members turn towards the remaining one. “Photographer-san? Can I come out of the sand now? I think something is crawling on me…”

Yamapi cringes. “Massu, maybe you should let Tegoshi have the shower first.”

Massu grins. “Oh, that’s okay. We can share.”

Ryo, Yamapi, and Koyama give unperplexed nods while Shige’s jaw drops a little, but it’s more at Koyama’s reaction.

~*~*~*~

“I don’t get it,” Shige tries to whisper to Koyama, but the music is so loud that he’s practically screaming. “Why is it okay for Masuda and Tegoshi to shower together, but you won’t even sleep in the same bed as me?”

Koyama downs his shot and looks past Shige to where Tegoshi is doing karaoke to Britney Spears. “Tegoshi and Massu,” he begins, using a voice like he’s giving a lecture to a roomful of students, “are like two peas in a pod. It would be unnatural for them _not_ to do everything together.”

Shige folds his arms. “So what you’re saying is that Tegoshi and Massu are better friends than you and I are?”

Sighing, Koyama gestures for another shot and shakes his head. “This would be a lot easier if you were drinking too. Maybe then it would make sense.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Ryo says shortly. “We don’t need an overseas drinking scandal too.” He eyes Koyama’s drinking speed and halts him as he reaches for more. “We’ve got all night, Kei. Slow down or you’re going to be too fucked up to walk back to the room.”

“That’s the point,” Koyama mumbles, and suddenly Shige understands. He gets to his feet and grabs Koyama’s face, forcing him to look at him.

He can’t stop the words from pouring out of his mouth, hissed angrily but loud enough for only Koyama to hear. “Am I really so repulsive that you have to get drunk to sleep in the same bed as me?” Without giving him a chance to respond, Shige goes on. “I’ll switch with Yamashita.”

Koyama’s eyes get big and, characteristically, fill with tears. “Shige!” he exclaims, as if he’s just noticing that Shige’s there. “Shige, no. You’re not -” He pauses and contorts his face in confusion. “I don’t want -”

“Ryo, can I have your key card please,” Shige says matter-of-factly without taking his eyes off of Koyama, his tone so serious that Ryo just hands it over silently while pretending to be watching Yamapi chat up a native woman at the bar.

“Shige!” Koyama wails, clutching at Shige’s shirt and starting to make a scene.

Shige looks helplessly at Ryo, who rolls his eyes and takes Koyama’s hands in his to pry them off of Shige. What happens next, Shige doesn’t stick around to watch; he’s out of the bar and in Ryo and Yamapi’s (now his and Ryo’s) room before he lets himself go, punching one of the pillows to release his frustration instead of crying. He ends up doing a little of both, more the latter than the former as time goes on, and when the last of his energy is drained, he falls asleep on top of the bedspread, fully-clothed with his face buried in the wet pillow.

~*~*~*~

Ryo really doesn’t kick in his sleep. Shige’s quite disturbed that _that_ is his first thought upon waking, but then he remembers that there was some sort of commotion in the middle of the night during which someone was deposited on the other side of the bed, so Ryo was probably too drunk to do much of anything except pass out.

It’s too early to get up, but Shige does anyway, regarding the nonmoving mess of black hair and feeling an inking of pity for the massive hangover Ryo will probably have. Shige’s still in his clothes from last night and feeling particularly disgusting, but he’s not about to disturb Yamapi and Koyama so he just washes up the best he can and heads down to the lobby to kill some time.

Massu is already there, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and fully taking advantage of the free continental breakfast. He waves at Shige and gestures to the large buffet of food.

Shige’s not that hungry, but he grabs a plate anyway and takes the seat across from Massu. “Anything interesting happen after I left last night?” he asks casually.

Massu’s expression changes; he focuses completely on eating and doesn’t meet Shige’s eyes as he shakes his head. Massu has never been a very good liar, which leads Shige to believe that something very interesting happened last night after he left that Massu was told not to tell Shige about.

Shige sighs and leaves it be. Massu can be broken down very easily, but then he gets really upset at himself and Shige doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s misery on this so-called vacation. Massu’s also really easy to talk to, though, so Shige strikes up a conversation about the differences between Hawaii and Japan, which cheers Massu up considerably and has him talking animatedly until Yamapi stumbles through the door.

Despite being almost freezing weather, Yamapi’s in a robe and flip-flops, almost flashing them several times as he makes his way to the table and falls into a chair, cringing at the impact.

Shige immediately thinks the worst and is half ready to jump out of his seat and make Yamapi hurt even more –

“Leader looks like he slept on the floor!” Massu exclaims with worried eyes.

Yamapi grunts. “Fucker kicked me out of bed.”

Shige calms down and hides a smile. Way to go, Kei, he thinks.

Massu looks amused as well, but he stuffs his mouth to keep it from showing.

“Maybe it’s you,” Shige suggests. “Maybe you have this aura about you that makes everyone want to kick you out of bed.”

“No, it’s just Ryo-chan.” Yamapi wiggles his eyebrows and adds, “Nobody else would _dare_ kick me out of bed.”

Shige rolls his eyes. “But you just said…” He trails off as comprehension dawns.

Yamapi laughs. “Can you not recognize your own best friend even when he’s passed out?”

“I only saw his hair,” Shige says softly. “But I thought he didn’t -”

“He threw an absolute bitch fit after you left,” Yamapi goes on, ignoring the wide-eyed warning looks Massu’s throwing him. “Said he’d sleep on the beach before he shared a bed with me, that _Shige_ was the only one he’d even consider, and some other blubbering stuff that didn’t make any sense because he drank himself stupid and _we_ -” he points at himself and Massu “- had to carry his gangly ass all the way to _my_ room, because he wouldn’t stop crying until we promised him that he wouldn’t wake up next to anyone but you.” He stretches and makes a face of pain. “The rest is history.”

“I don’t think Koyama-kun is going to be feeling too well when he wakes up,” Massu says gently. “When I’m hungover, Tegoshi-kun always rubs my back and forces me to eat even though I clearly have no appetite.”

Shige’s more in awe at Massu not being hungry than actually drinking enough to warrant a hangover, but he gets the hint and makes a plate of fruit and bread and other things that won’t further upset Koyama’s stomach.

Yamapi gives him the thumbs up as the latter goes to leave, hollering after him, “Text me when you’re done so I can get dressed! It feels weird to wear only a robe in a hotel lobby!”

Several patrons turn to leer at Yamapi, who crosses his legs and ties the robe tighter around him while Massu snorts into his breakfast.

~*~*~*~

Koyama and drinking definitely do not mix, Shige thinks as he holds Koyama’s hair back while he leans over Shige’s lap with his face in the trash can. It’s not the most pleasant situation in the world, but Shige feels helpless as Koyama clutches onto the trash can with one hand and Shige’s leg with the other. His grip is shaky, weak, and Shige can do nothing but keep his hair out of the way and gently rub his back as Koyama’s stomach lurches over and over again until there’s nothing left.

He groans miserably, tears pouring from his eyes yet again, but Shige has the washcloth ready to clean his face and make him feel somewhat human. He had snatched their suitcases from the other room (passing over Ryo sprawled out across the entire bed, dead to the world) and ran a bath, setting out all of Koyama’s things, and he’s fully prepared to bathe Koyama himself if the latter isn’t up to it.

“You think you can manage?” Shige whispers after hoisting the unusually lightweight Koyama over his shoulder and into the bathroom.

Koyama slumps against the wall the minute he’s let go, but manages to hold himself upright and nods. “Thank you, Shige.”

His voice is hoarse and fresh tears are forming, his chest heaving like it’s taking all of his energy just to breathe, and Shige debates staying in here with him anyway.

“Shige, I’m sorry -” Koyama begins.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Shige says briskly, heading for the door and closing it securely behind him before letting out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

It isn’t until Shige sits on the bed that he hears water running, and as much as he wants to stick around in case Koyama needs him, he wants to leave just the same. Grabbing Yamapi and Ryo’s suitcases as well as his own, he returns to his original room and gets into the shower, almost screaming bloody murder when Ryo bangs the door open and takes a stance in front of the toilet like nobody else is in there.

“Relax,” Ryo grumbles in his morning voice before Shige can lay into him. “I’m not Koyama, I have no desire to see you naked, and thanks for bringing my shit.”

Fifteen seconds later he disappears, slamming the door behind him, and Shige manages to finish his shower without anymore interruptions. When he returns to the room, nobody is there and his suitcase is the only one left. He exhales in relief and throws on some clothes, feeling considerably better now that he’s clean.

Koyama arrives a few minutes later – that is, Yamapi arrives with Koyama on his back and Koyama’s suitcase in his hand. Koyama looks a lot better than he did earlier, but still pretty out of it. Yamapi is thankfully dressed, even if his shirt isn’t buttoned, and he deposits Koyama on the bed and the suitcase on the floor, giving Shige an odd look before saying “the maids are in the hallway” and leaving.

Koyama grabs the closest thing that’s soft and cuddly – a pillow – and hugs it to his chest, making a face when the scent reaches his nose. “Must Yamapi always smell like a whore?”

“Remember who you’re talking about,” Shige says with a chuckle, sitting next to Koyama and reaching out to rub his back again.

Koyama flinches, and Shige pauses with his hand almost on Koyama’s shoulder. “Sorry,” Koyama whispers, hugging the pillow tighter. “I feel really empty and I guess I’m a little jumpy.”

“It’s okay,” Shige replies, smiling although he’s not sure why. He tentatively touches Koyama’s shoulder and starts to rub, gently at first until Koyama moans softly and rolls onto his stomach in a silent plea for more.

Wordlessly, Shige leans on his knees and uses both hands on Koyama’s back, massaging as firmly as he dares while Koyama makes little noises of content in the pillow and arches up against the pressure. Shige starts to feel a little weird, but Koyama is finally happy again and that’s more important than any apprehensions Shige has.

When Shige drops down to Koyama’s lower back, Koyama lets out a moan that vibrates the bed, and Shige feels hot all over with intent to keep going until there’s a knock on the door.

“Housekeeping!”

Shige almost laughs. Koyama actually whines, rolling over and giving Shige this pitiful look that makes him want to tell the maid to come back later. Instead, he bounces off of the bed and lets her in, nodding to her while grabbing his shoes and urging Koyama to do the same. “Come on,” he prods. “We can go get something to eat while the room is being cleaned.”

Koyama makes a face and holds his stomach at the mention of food, but his stomach chooses that moment to growl and he presumably decides that food is a pretty good idea right about now.

~*~*~*~

It feels like the weekend, but it’s really the middle of the week and the tourists are slim to none. Koyama makes up for them all, though, pulling Shige through store after store like they’ve never been here before and squealing over the stupidest shit that Shige’s pretty sure is sold in Japan as well.

“Nice to see you’re feeling better,” Shige mutters as Koyama flails over yet another souvenir with HAWAII printed on it.

“Thanks to you,” Koyama says politely, petting Shige on the head and grinning like his normal self. “Shige took care of me even when I was gross. I really appreciate it.”

Shige feels himself start to blush and pretends to be interested in a hula girl keychain. “You’d do the same for me,” he mutters.

“See, that’s it,” Koyama says brightly. “I take care of everyone, and only Shige takes care of me. I am very glad that I met you.”

Blinking, Shige looks up and meets Koyama’s warm eyes. “I’m glad that I met you too,” he replies, feeling stupid, but Koyama grins even harder.

The day is overcast and chilly, but Koyama somehow manages to make it feel sunny and warm. After Koyama has bought a present for everyone he knows, including his cat, they end up at the beach and kick off their shoes, sinking their toes into the sand and laying on their backs.

After a long while of comfortable silence, Koyama pokes Shige in the arm and says, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Shige replies, the incoming tide forcing him to speak louder than he would have liked.

“No.” Koyama leans up on one elbow, looking down at Shige with earnest eyes. “I was being really selfish last night. I don’t know what they told you, but… I don’t even know _what_ I was saying…”

“It’s okay,” Shige says calmly, and means it. “We all have our stupid drunk nights. We’re good enough friends to get past that, right?”

Koyama’s lips turn up into an embarrassed smile. “Right. It won’t happen again, Shige-chan. I need to be a responsible adult and face my fears.”

Shige tilts his head in concern. “What does that mean? What are you scared of?”

Shaking his head, Koyama chuckles and bites his lip as he rolls back to where he was. “This is really heavy to talk about right now. Let me figure it out a little more before I try to explain it, okay?”

“Okay,” agrees Shige. He has no clue what Koyama’s going on about, but he can support him all the same. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

“I know,” Koyama replies, almost quiet enough to be drowned out by the tide. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Shige opens his mouth, to say what he has no idea, but Koyama’s phone chooses that moment to go off. Koyama looks relieved, flipping his phone open like he was waiting for an important call, but it’s just Yamapi wanting to gather everyone for dinner since they’d spent the entire day apart.

“I kind of want to blow them off,” Koyama admits. “That’s mean, isn’t it?”

“Not really,” Shige says, feeling excited for reasons he doesn’t understand. “You can tell them you’re still feeling nauseous and we’re just going to stay in tonight.”

Koyama’s eyes flash like he’s considering it, but instead he shakes his head and starts typing a response. “Nah. The six of us don’t get a chance to be together like this too often without having work obligations. And Yamapi picked this outdoor barbeque place that sounds really good -”

Shige can’t help but smile. Koyama loves barbeque.

“- He also suggested we go to karaoke again tonight, but I don’t know…”

“What does Kei-chan want to do?” Shige asks carefully, tracing a random pattern in the sand with his finger.

Koyama laughs. “Kei-chan wants to be lazy and watch bad American sitcoms while gorging on room service and staying _miles_ away from anything with any alcohol content, unless it’s strawberry, and…” He stares hard up at the sky, like he’s reading something in the clouds. “… and I want to do all of that with Shige.”

Shige’s heart warms. “Of course we can do that tonight, after dinner.” He pauses and pokes Koyama in the side, just because. “And I think I saw some strawberry margarita mix at one of those convenience stores. Does our room have a blender?”

“I will _buy_ a blender,” Koyama says decidedly, poking Shige back. “We should probably go soon,” he adds, making no effort to move. “It’s starting to get dark.”

“Time to eat,” Shige says with a nod, poking Koyama once more and getting a jab to the ribs in return. “Ow!”

Koyama’s eyes reflect the sunset as Shige turns to look at him, like he’s lost in another world for the half a second it takes for his stomach to grumble again, making them both burst out laughing as they reluctantly heave themselves up and walk leisurely across the beach to join Yamapi and the others.

Later that evening, the kanji for “Kei Love” washes away in the tide.

~*~*~*~

“… and then Tegoshi tries to impress her with something Akanishi-kun told him would be a surefire way to get girls in America.”

Massu gestures elaborately at Tegoshi, whose face is covered in barbeque sauce that Koyama keeps trying to wipe off but somehow keeps returning.

“Oh no,” Yamapi groans, hiding his face with his beer. “What did you say?”

“‘Nice boobs’!” Tegoshi exclaims, but he’s smart enough to say it in Japanese.

Shige chokes on his tea and Koyama bangs his head on the table. Ryo and Yamapi are in hysterics and maybe even a little proud.

“That’s not all,” Massu goes on, getting more dramatic in his story-telling the drunker he gets. “She actually _smiled_ and told him he was cute.”

“I got her number,” Tegoshi adds, showing off the little piece of paper like it was a medal.

“Ooh, is little Tesshi going to score some foreign ass?” Yamapi teases, tearing into his ribs and continuing to speak like everyone at the table wants to see him chew. “Massu can bunk with us. I end up on the floor anyway.”

Tegoshi flushes red and covers his face with his hands, shaking his head fiercely, while Ryo flicks a bone at Yamapi and declares, “I do _not_ kick in my sleep!”

“How do you explain last night then?” Yamapi shoots back, miraculously managing to keep his food in his mouth.

“I still hold that you roll your own fat ass out of bed,” Ryo says firmly, setting his beer rather forcibly down on the table. “Switch with someone tonight. We’ll see if whoever it is ends up on the floor in the morning.”

“Nobody wants to switch with me!” Yamapi pouts. “I already tried.”

“I don’t want to sleep on the floor,” Massu says sadly, frowning in a way that makes Shige’s heart hurt.

“I don’t kick in my sleep!” Ryo almost screams. “Listen, assholes. I’ve slept with _everyone_ in Kanjani8, including Uchi -”

“You might want to rephrase that,” Yamapi cuts in, snickering.

“- and none of them have ever ended up on the floor,” Ryo finishes, doing something under the table that makes Yamapi flinch but otherwise ignoring him. “Including Yasu, and he’s smaller than me!”

“I’ll share with Ryo-tan,” Tegoshi offers, beaming across the table at Ryo. “I kick back.”

“Deal!” Yamapi decides for everyone, closing his eyes in bliss as though he’s fantasizing about remaining in bed for the whole night. “And we will _see_ who the liar at this table is!”

“Tegoshi steals the covers,” Massu points out, in case they forgot.

“I think I’ll manage,” Ryo replies with a wink towards Tegoshi.

Shige almost jumps when Koyama’s voice is in his ear, subtly disguised by reaching in his jacket for his smokes. “You know, these guys make _my_ sleeping habit seem like nothing.”

“It really is,” Shige whispers back. “I keep telling you -”

“Did I do it last night?” Koyama’s voice is hushed and fast. “I don’t think I did because I was so drunk, but -”

“You didn’t,” Shige says honestly. “I didn’t even know it was you, since you and Nishikido have the same hair color now.”

Koyama snorts into whatever fruity concoction he’s drinking. “It’s a good thing I didn’t, if you thought I was Ryo-chan.”

“You might have woken up with a swift kick to the balls,” Shige mutters, covering up a laugh with a well-placed cough.

Koyama starts to light up, then glances around at people still eating and steps off to the side. Whatever conversation that had been going on dies in favor of the four remaining people at the table staring at Shige.

Shige squirms a little. “What?”

Tegoshi and Yamapi shake their heads while Ryo rolls his eyes, and even Massu for once does not look completely oblivious and offers Shige a kind of pitying smile.

“Nothing,” says Ryo. “Absolutely nothing.”

~*~*~*~

“Oh, my…” Koyama looks scandalized, like his eyes are glued to a trainwreck that he just can’t look away from. “Americans are fucked up.”

Shige laughs hard enough to roll across the bed, because Shige’s had a couple strawberry margaritas and it’s totally not illegal if he’s not in public. Besides, he’s legal to drink in his country of origin and that’s all that matters, at least that’s what Koyama decided when he declared the door of their hotel room to be the border between America and Japan. “In here,” he said, “we are in Japan and it is perfectly legal for you to drink.”

At the time, Shige was sober and rather doubtful, but now he thinks that Koyama is the most important person in the universe, so of course whatever he says goes.

“That doesn’t go there!” Koyama almost shrieks, pointing at the TV like it would see him and stop whatever it’s doing that’s offending him so much.

Shige lifts his head and tries to squint, but all he sees is a bunch of blurs. “I can’t see,” he says sadly.

“You took your contacts out, didn’t you?” Koyama helpfully reminds him. So smart. “Here – your glasses.”

Nodding in gratitude, Shige slips the frames on and nearly chokes as he focuses on the TV. “Kei!” he squawks. “Management is going to kill you if they find out you ordered porn!”

“It’s not porn!” Koyama tilts his head. “Well, I guess it kind of is. But it’s on regular TV. I didn’t order anything, I swear. I was just channel surfing after _Cheers_ ended and this is what came on.”

“They’re…” Shige trails off, furrowing his brow as he sees the couple at a better angle. “Is he doing her in the ass?”

“Yes!” Koyama’s voice sounds traumatized. “That’s what I was saying. At first they were just looking at some toys, and that was okay, I guess it’s a sex show or something. I don’t know, Americans are fucked up.”

Shige snorts. “American girls like it in the ass, I guess.”

“No kidding…” Koyama shakes his head. “I always thought that was a guy thing.”

“What?” Shige sits straight up, his eyes wide. “What do you know about that?”

Koyama grabs the nearest pillow and covers his face with it. “Nothing! I know nothing!”

“Lies!” Shige yells.

Suddenly, Koyama lowers the pillow and fixes Shige with his motherly look. “What do _you_ know about that?”

The room phone rings, and Shige swears Yamapi has a knack for knowing when he needs a distraction.

“Number one, I can hear you through the wall,” Yamapi begins calmly. “Number two, are you guys watching channel nine?”

“Yes!” Shige and Koyama squeal together, trying to hold the phone between both of their ears and contain their giggles.

“Man, I have got to get me one of these American girls,” says Yamapi. “I had no _idea_ they were into this shit.”

“Seriously,” Koyama agrees.

“Wait,” Shige says, trying to focus on the clock to figure out the time. “Weren’t you guys going to karaoke?”

“Yeah, like six hours ago.” Yamapi laughs. “We just walked in the door… oh my god, is Shige drunk?”

“No!” Shige declares, immediately bursting into laughter that has him dropping the phone and falling backwards on the bed.

Five seconds later, there’s a knock on the door and Koyama lets in both Yamapi and Massu, who are so amused at the sight of a flushed Shige that they both feel the need to tackle him at the same time.

“Can’t… breathe…” Shige sputters through his hysterics.

“Yay, member-ai!” Koyama announces, bouncing happily on the bed next to the Shige pile. “Where are Tegoshi and Ryo-chan?”

Massu sits up straight and frowns in thought. “I don’t know. We lost them at the karaoke bar. I thought they came back here.”

“Don’t worry,” says Yamapi happily. “Tegoshi will be knocking at our door when Ryo-chan kicks him out of bed like he does me.”

“I don’t think Nishikido would kick Tegoshi out of bed,” Shige mumbles under his breath, exploding into laughter again.

“Shige!” Koyama gasps, looking almost impressed.

“Shige!” adds Yamapi with a visible cringe. “Tegoshi is practically a child!”

Massu just stares at the television with wide eyes. “You guys -”

“He’s the same age as me!” says Shige, narrowing his eyes.

“And nobody’s trying to get _you_ in bed either!” Yamapi snorts. “Except maybe Koyama.”

“Hey!” Koyama shrieks indignantly.

“Deny it!” Yamapi barks, pointing a finger into Koyama’s chest. “You’re both drunk, you’re watching a goddamn sex show – sit there and tell me you weren’t bawling your eyes out last night talking about how much you -”

“You stop right there, Yamashita,” Koyama, suddenly sober, his own finger pointing directly at Yamapi’s nose and halting him. He seethes for a second, glaring at Yamapi, who’s staring back just as intensely and doesn’t appear to appreciate a finger in his face.

Shige searches his brain for something to do before a fight breaks out in his bed.

Surprisingly, Massu does it first. “Yamashita-kun,” he says slowly. “I’m switching back with Nishikido-kun.”

“What?” both Koyama and Yamapi snap, letting go of each other’s throats to turn and look oddly at Massu, tilting their heads in a way that makes them take the shape of a heart.

Shige finds this hilarious and falls off the bed.

“Shige!” Koyama squeals, abandoning Yamapi to lunge across the bed and lean halfway over the edge, his hair falling all around his face as he braces his hands on the floor on either side of where Shige ended up, looking upside-down at him with big eyes. “Are you okay?”

Shige nods and reaches up to twist Koyama’s hair around one of his fingers. “You looked better with lighter hair,” he says. “No confusion with Nishikido that way.”

Koyama blinks. “When drama filming is over, I’ll definitely dye it back.”

“I rest my case,” Yamapi announces loudly, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I’m leaving now.”

The door closes behind him, unbeknownst to Koyama and Shige, who are having some sort of upside-down staring contest and giggling uncontrollably.

“All the blood is rushing to my head,” Koyama says. “But I don’t think I can get up. Did Massu leave too?”

“Massu~!” Shige yells. When there’s no response, he shrugs. “Guess so.”

Koyama’s face changes, and suddenly he’s struggling to get upright and disappears from Shige’s line of sight. When Shige scrambles back onto the bed, Koyama is kneeling on the mattress with his hands in his lap and his face down like he’s been scolded.

“Kei,” he says quietly. “Whatever… no matter…” He takes a breath and frowns. “Look at me.”

Koyama reluctantly raises his eyes.

Shige sighs. “Never mind. Let’s just go to sleep.”

Exhaling in what looks to be relief, Koyama takes it upon himself to shut off the TV and the lights, crawling under the covers and pretty much balancing himself on the edge of the bed.

“I wish I could do something to make this easier for you,” Shige says softly.

“Face away from me,” Koyama mumbles back.

Shige immediately complies, but not without questioning. “Why?”

It takes Koyama a good thirty seconds to respond, and by this time Shige figures he’s forgotten about it or fallen asleep, so he’s surprised when he hears Koyama’s voice say, “So that if I do it, it won’t be completely inappropriate.”

Personally, Shige doesn’t think it makes a difference either way, but for Koyama’s sake he keeps his mouth shut.

~*~*~*~

When Shige wakes up in the middle of the night, it’s because he’s freezing his ass off and the covers seem to be twisted up in the Koyama-sized lump on the other side of the bed.

The inebriation has subsided enough for Shige to be fully aware of his actions, but he’s not conscious enough to care or even try to dismiss the small tinge of disappointment he feels, the reason behind which becoming abundantly clear even to the few brain cells that are awake. With a hard tug, both the covers and the person inside them come flying towards him, and Koyama whines a little as his head makes contact with Shige’s shoulder. Shige pays no mind as his main concern is getting warm, and if Koyama happens to be sleeping closer to him in the process, so be it.

He sighs contently as he snuggles with the newly returned covers, and indirectly Koyama. He can feel Koyama’s even breathing on his collarbone, his hands curled up into fists against his chest. He’s fast asleep yet he’s shaking, like he’s cold or having a bad dream, so Shige checks to make sure he didn’t pull the covers completely off of him. He didn’t, but Koyama seems to be freaking out in his sleep and with as tired as Shige is, he can’t think of anything to do but put an arm around him, rubbing his back and pressing his face into Koyama’s hair that smells like a mixture of wildflowers and ocean air.

And then it happens. Shige supposes he started it, but in all honesty, the feeling of Koyama’s arms embracing him isn’t the worst thing in the world, not even close. It’s almost a relief, the way Koyama’s holding onto him tightly and squeezing, like Shige is a human pillow, until a choked sound emits from him and Shige feels the moisture on his shirt.

“Hey, hey,” Shige says quietly, his voice deep and gruff from sleep. He keeps rubbing Koyama’s back and nuzzles his hair. “It’s okay, Kei. It’s okay if it’s you.”

Koyama scrunches the fabric of Shige’s shirt in his hands and trembles, like he wants to pull away but some unknown force keeps him right where he is. He mewls miserably and sniffs a little, exhaling deeply before the tiniest voice mumbles, “I’m sorry, Shige.”

“Are you awake?” Shige asks gently.

A small nod, and another sniff.

“Let’s go back to sleep,” Shige whispers, lifting his hand to stroke Koyama’s hair as the latter starts to sob harder. “Don’t cry, Kei-chan. This is okay, it really is.”

“It’s not because I’m sad,” Koyama mumbles, burying his face in Shige’s neck.

Shige’s heart seems to radiate the rest of his body as he gives in to slumber once more.

~*~*~*~

Shige should feel weird waking up like this, but he feels more like half of a squished pretzel. Somewhere between the late-night events and now, most of his limbs became entangled in Koyama’s, and Koyama’s hair is tickling his nose. His left arm is completely numb, and he’s not quite sure how Koyama can still breathe with the way his face is pressing into Shige’s neck, letting out little puffs of air that make Shige’s skin tingle in an interesting way.

Despite it all, he’s incredibly comfortable. Koyama’s heartbeat is soothing, even though it starts to speed up as he slowly wakes up. Preparing himself for another freakout, Shige squeezes him close and whispers, “Good morning, Kei-chan.”

“‘Morning,” Koyama replies groggily, managing to stretch in the snug embrace. “Isn’t this backwards?”

Shige relaxes and almost laughs. “What do you mean?”

“I mean -” Koyama yawns and rubs his nose against Shige’s throat as he snuggles back to where he was “- I’m not supposed to be the girl.”

This time Shige does laugh, his body shaking with the force of it and shaking Koyama as well. “You are so the girl,” he replies.

He expects Koyama to argue, but he should know better by now. “I guess I am,” Koyama agrees with a small shrug. “Tell me we don’t have to get up yet.”

“We don’t have to get up yet,” Shige says mechanically, not caring whether it’s true or not.

Koyama giggles, which sets off Shige, and they’re both giggling while holding onto each other, although Shige isn’t sure whether it’s out of amusement or nervousness.

When they calm down, Koyama sighs and rolls over onto his back, stretching more purposefully and finally meeting Shige’s eyes. “I don’t think I’m adult enough to handle this,” he admits, a faint blush tinting his cheeks.

“Handle what?” Shige asks innocently, turning onto his stomach and snatching back his pillow that had somehow ended up under Koyama’s head during the course of the night.

“You know what,” Koyama replies, deadpan. “I think it’s fairly obvious.”

Shige smiles, but he’s pretty sure it comes out as more of a smirk. “Even so, I want to hear it from you.”

Koyama squeezes his eyes closed. “Now you’re being the girl.”

“Kei.”

Eyes popping open and wide, Koyama nods at the serious look on Shige’s face. “I don’t know what to say.”

Shige reaches a hand over to brush Koyama’s hair out of his face. “Just say what you feel.”

“I want to be close to you,” Koyama says quickly, like getting the words out faster will make them less embarrassing. “Like, um…”

“Like this,” Shige supplies, scooting over the few remaining inches until his head is resting on Koyama’s shoulder, Koyama’s arms automatically wrapping around him. “Only now I really am the girl.”

Koyama chuckles into his hair as Shige throws a leg over Koyama’s and gets comfortable. “Yeah, like this.”

Shige can feel Koyama’s heartbeat, which doesn’t appear to be slowing down. “Are you sure that’s all?”

“Shige…” Koyama sighs, sounding a little exasperated but not enough to keep from stroking Shige’s hair like he’s Nyanta. “One thing at a time, okay?”

“Okay,” Shige agrees, nuzzling into Koyama’s neck with what he knows is a stupid grin. “I don’t see what the big deal is, but since it’s Kei-chan I’ll wait.”

Koyama opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted by a very loud thud from the other side of the wall.

“Dammit, Nishikido!” Yamapi’s morning voice booms through the otherwise silent air. “You couldn’t have waited ten more minutes?”

Shige makes the mistake of looking up at Koyama, and they both burst into uncontrollable giggles yet again.

Ryo’s reply is inaudible, but Shige can clearly hear the bed slam into the wall right behind them as Yamapi presumably dive-bombs on top of Ryo in retaliation.

This time Ryo’s words are unmistakable. “Do I look like fucking Akanishi? Get off of me, you goddamn horndog.”

Koyama gasps and, being the true gossip whore he really is, shifts up to place his ear against the wall.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Yamapi roars. “You’re the one who keeps kicking me out of bed.”

“BECAUSE YOU KEEP HUMPING ME!” Ryo screams loud enough for the whole hotel to hear; both Koyama and Shige cover their mouths and exchange a wide-eyed glance. “I didn’t want to be the one to break it to you, but you hump in your sleep. Sorry. You should be grateful I actually waited until morning to kick you out this time.”

“I think you’re full of shit,” Yamapi replies, but he sounds unsure.

“I think you’re deprived,” Ryo snaps back. “Isn’t Akanishi putting out?”

“We are not together like that!” Yamapi cries. “Jin and I are no more together than Koyama and Shige are.”

Koyama snorts and Shige rubs his forehead.

“I mean, god.” Ryo pauses, and Shige can almost imagine the look on his face, like Yamapi is the most unintelligent creature to ever grace his path and Ryo should be paid for putting up with such stupidity. “If you want to get in my pants, Yamashita, at least make an effort and _be awake for it_.”

Shige’s jaw drops and Koyama jerks his head away from the wall like it burned him. “Let’s… go somewhere…” Koyama says quickly, trying to climb over Shige and getting even more twisted up in the covers. Shige grabs onto his arm before he tumbles to the floor, but all that means is that Shige goes with and lands directly on top of him, having the foresight to stick out his hand to catch the back of Koyama’s head.

“Are you okay,” Shige says softly, gently removing his slightly crushed fingers and tracing the line of Koyama’s jaw just because it was there.

Koyama’s eyes are shining, not from tears but from something else that Shige can’t decipher, at least until Koyama grabs him by the collar and closes the remaining distance between them, brushing Shige’s lips with his own in a way that has Shige’s body rising in temperature immediately.

Shige’s too stunned to respond, and after what feels like forever, Koyama pulls back and bites his lip. “Was I wrong to think that was okay?”

The words won’t form in Shige’s throat, so he does the next best thing, leaning down to finish what Koyama started and struggling to untangle the both of them from the covers so that there are no more barriers between them. He loops his arms around Koyama’s shoulders, holding him close as he kisses him like it’s something he’s really wanted that he’s been denied for so long, which he supposes is less of an analogy and more of the truth.

Of course, Koyama cries, but Shige would have been worried if he didn’t.

> _Omake_

__“Wait!” Shige screams in English, dragging Koyama by the arm as they rush to catch the airport shuttle before it leaves.

Yamapi looks like a pissed-off mother with his hands on his hips, starting in on them before they even clear the steps. “I tried to call you both _eleven times_ ,” he growls. “Where the fuck have you been?”

Koyama lowers his face as he takes the window seat, but Shige remains standing and meets Yamapi’s nasty glare. “We overslept because _someone_ woke us up at the ass-crack of dawn with their _fighting_ and otherwise loud activities.”

“It was eight-thirty,” Ryo mutters, displaying absolutely no shame as he smacks Yamapi in the leg for no reason. “You should have been getting up anyway.”

“Shut up, Nishikido,” says Shige. “Nobody was talking to you.”

Ryo raises an eyebrow, Tegoshi and Koyama gasp dramatically, and Yamapi is too concerned with kicking his foot back until it makes contact with Ryo’s arm to have a proper reaction. Likewise, Massu is sneaking the rest of a cheese danish behind Tegoshi’s helpful guard and appears to care less about Shige’s outburst.

Instead of getting angry, Ryo laughs out loud. “God, _finally_.” He tugs Yamapi down by the belt and stretches across his lap like it was his pillow. “Leave them alone,” he mutters, curling up and closing his eyes. “They’re honeymooning.”

Koyama bangs his head on the window, but Shige holds his ground. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Ryo replies casually. “Now shut the fuck up and let me get some sleep.”

Yamapi looks entirely too amused as he rests his arm strategically on Ryo’s side to keep the sun from getting in his eyes. Shige almost smiles.

Tegoshi peers around the seat behind Yamapi and Ryo. “What is it about Hawaii that brings us closer together?”

It’s a question that goes unanswered, but Tegoshi doesn’t seem to mind. He leans back against the already asleep Massu and drifts off; Yamapi and Ryo’s ‘fighting’ must have woken them early as well, Shige figures.

“Shige,” Yamapi says quietly as to not disturb Ryo, reaching across the aisle to nudge Shige in the shoulder. “Why do you think we keep coming back here?”

That question goes unanswered too, but its logic is not wasted on Shige, who immediately glances at Koyama and meets his hopeful eyes. Shige balances his bag so that it’s on his lap and blocking the space between them – not that anyone’s looking, they’re involved with their own shit – and reaches for Koyama’s hand.

Koyama blushes as he laces their fingers together, leaning against the window and holding a silent conversation with his eyes that Shige feels all over his body.

“You really are the girl,” he mouths, earning a kick in the shin and a huff, but Koyama doesn’t let go of his hand.


End file.
